Bits of History
July 2, 1778 - Bathsheba Spooner
One of the Historic Society's treasures is the series of drawings on the attic walls of the Bigelow Tavern showing the 1778 execution of the notorious Bathsheba Spooner. Bathsheba Spooner was convicted of plotting the murder of her husband Joshua Spooner, a prosperous farmer who went missing on March 1, 1778. She was hanged in Worcester, along with her three hit men on July 2, 1778.
At the end of the last century, while the building at 65 Worcester Street was being examined in an attempt to determine its age, several large chalk drawings were found on the attic walls. The drawings showed a woman and some men in detail. Smaller pictures of a public hanging were on an opposite wall. Public hangings were rare in Worcester - and none but the Spooner case involved a woman. We seem to have discovered a contemporary depiction of the hanging of the most notorious criminal of the time.
It has always been difficult to show these pictures to the public, as the attic is not easily accessible. Now the Society has near-life size reproductions which can be displayed on the first floor of the Bigelow Tavern. Stop by and see for yourself! Or purchase the book available in our Shop: A Dreadful Scene.
Robert Bailey Thomas
Robert B. Thomas, born on April 24, 1766, founded the Farmer's Almanac. It is the oldest consistently published periodical in the United States. It was first published in 1792 when George Washington was president. Robert Bailey Thomas studied astronomy in order to calculate the weather predictions in his almanacs. The almanac was of particular interest to farmers since it had detailed weather information and recommendations for how to take care of crops. It was an instant success.
Robert B. Thomas lived in the Oakdale section of West Boylston for most of his life. He served as Selectman, assessor, town moderator and as a state representative.
The Beaman Memorial Library boasts one of the only complete collections of the Almanac in the United States. The only other institutions which hold this honor are the Library of Congress and the Almanac headquarters.
West Boylston Historical Society
PO Box 201
65 West Boylston St.
West Boylston, MA 01583